Aftermath
by ForgottenEllipses
Summary: Gavroche has died, and gone to "them Pearly Gates"... A monologue.


_Spoken in the tongue of Gavroche, with English/French accent._

_[Pantomiming coming up stairs, breathing heavily.]_

Golly! These steps are KILLING me! [_Pants_] You think they'd give a lad a rest now 'n' again, 'specially a young lad like me.

[_Suddenly looks into the distance, shades eyes_]

Wait a minute, is that…it is! Them there's them Pearly Gates they was all talkin' 'bout down home…FINALLY! _Phew_!

[_Wipes brow_]

Wasat? A man all in white, and …BLOODY HELL, he's floating! He must be…it is! Saint Michael the Archangel, come to judge me, whether I should go to heaven or hell.

[_aside, muttering_] Speakin' a which I probly shoudn't a said bloody hell…

Oy there mate, [_saunters up to Saint Michael. Raises eyebrows_] how 'bout you open up them pearly gates for me, eh?

[_Smile fades_]

No?...oh…you have ta judge me first. Wasat you got there? [_Leans over, peering at list. Looks worried_]

A list? A list of…bad things I've done. You…you don't have one of the _good_ things I've done?

[_Hopeful smile_]

…No. Oh, alright.

Say what? Oh, stealing? Sure I stolt! And damn good at it too I might add.

[_Smirks_]

I shouldn't be proud of that? Why? I had ta live, didn't I?

[_Pause_]

But – but – you don' understand! My-my family, they didn't want me! They kicked me out when I was only seven years old! Seven! I had ta fend for mehself on the dirty, crumbly, lonely streets of the town. I was an orphan [_gets quiet_] – but not really.

You see, I had my family. They didn't like me. Every few months or so, I'd go to their house and see them, bring a gift of food or some such thing, hoping the would – I dunno, change their minds or something [_Shakes head_] But they never did.

Do you know [_lip trembles_] what it's like to have a fam'ly, but they don't _want_ you?

[_Closes eyes, struggling not to cry_]

But I don't let it get to me. I mean, they had other children they had to look out for. An' it makes sense they would let _me_ go, since I'm the oldest. I had the best chance of surviving out there. I don't hold it against them.

But I had to steal to live, mate. I'd have died. And then when those two boys came 'long…well, I couldn't leave them there like that, I HAD to take them in, an' they gotta be fed too.

[_Peers over at list again_]

Oh yes, and that lying, well… [_grimaces_] well, I got myself into some pretty tight spaces…I"ll jus' leave it at that. [_nods_] I'd surely 'ave been quite unhappy with the results of those situations if I hadn't a lied.

Plus, lies can make you somebody. Golly, could I whip up a tale like that! [_snaps fingers_] I wanted to be in the eye, always seen.

Tha's why I had to die like I did, eh? God lotsa respect and sorrow for the way I died. Died with some dignity, [_stands up tall_] tha's just like me.

I'm a free spirit see? I do what I like, when I like, don' have no laws don' take no orders from no one – 'cept myself, o' course. Pshaw, they all didn't want me ta go out there, But I wanted to do my part in the barricade! Greatest honor to be a soldier and fight for one's country! And to die for it – well, tha's the supreme honor. Course, I _did_ leave those boys behind…

[_gasps_]

What will become of them? Don' got no one ta look out for them now. I-I promised them I'd take care of them. I promised them I'd look our for them! I gotta uphold my honor! [Begging, pulling on Saint's robes] Please, please, tell me they'll be all right? Ya jus' gotta!

[_looks relieved_]

What? My….my brothers? They were – my brothers? [_disbelieving_] Nooo…you're joking! [_confused_] But ….my parents wouldn't do that to yet ANOTHER child, two at that… would they? I mean, I was justified, but…they were the youngest! This can't be!...

But… it is…[_sighs_] I see it now, [_points to list_] I had hoped….but no, they were truly evil people, I guess. I was too trusting of them, I guess.

[_flabbergasted_]

How-how can a parent do that? Answer me, any of you [_waves hand to whole crowd_], how can a parent do that?

[_Leaves question hanging, unanswered, for crowd to ponder_]


End file.
